


Mementos USA

by epicwriter87



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Disturbing Themes, Drug Use, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Not a porno, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 15:17:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15776718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epicwriter87/pseuds/epicwriter87
Summary: The legendary Phantom Thieves stole seven hearts in order to bring justice to the people of Japan through social reform and inspired the world to live with courage. After ten years of retirement though, a new threat has arisen. The secrets of cognitive psience were discovered by seven American students visiting Shibuya while the Phantom Thieves stayed in Hawaii. Within months of their return to Los Angeles, their brief encounters with Mementos began to change the country. Now the Phantom Thieves must unite again to face a new Mementos, along with palaces far more sinister and dangerous than ever before. However, they must first find a new leader who possesses the wildcard ability...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been difficult to write anything for a while now, but I'm looking forward to this story and hope it'll break my writer's block. I tend to be a dark writer, but don't expect any porn. It's not a strength of mine and seems to defeat the point of having a solid story plot. That being said, can't wait to get started, so enjoy!  
> Regarding the seven hearts: Though you can argue Sae's wasn't technically stolen; her shadow was defeated, she was forced to see her sins even without taking the treasure, and any other loose ends were pretty much taken care of by her own investigation, in my opinion.

Persona 5: Mementos USA

-

Prologue: Ruin In The Distance

Los Angeles, California, Monday, March 27, 2017, 3:27 PM

-

     It was unforgivably cold in the city of Los Angeles as light snow fell from a dark gray sky. Traffic clogged the streets as everyone tried to beat the heavier snowfall, which was predicted to be a historic record. School wasn't likely to be open tomorrow.

     Students began to shiver while waiting for the buses. Time slowly passed by as the stared at the screens on their smartphones. A group of students stood huddled together at the entrance to their high school as they spoke to one of the teachers.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" One of the three girls asked quietly.

Of course it will! We brought Mementos back with us!" The tallest boy insisted.

"Are you kids ready to see some real psychology?" The teacher, an older man, grinned as he pulled out his smartphone.

     Seven teenagers nodded with grins as he pressed an icon on his phone. No one seemed to notice as they faded away. Ten minutes later, the crowd of students screamed as they ran out of the way of an oncoming bus.

     The bus continued to move forward, until it smashed into the doors of the high school. The students were frozen with shock as they faced the crashed bus now. One of the female students screamed when she saw that the driver was dead.

     Just before the bus had crashed, the teacher and his students had walked back into the school. The students inside were also overcome with shock, but also guilt. The teacher appeared unfazed by the event that had taken place, but was quite pleased with what he saw. He leaned over to the girl next to him and whispered something in her ear.

     She looked at him with horror. The other six students noticed her reaction and looked at the teacher suspiciously now. He flashed them a brief, sinister grin before approaching the bus.

"Oh my god! Some one call nine-one-one!" The teacher shouted, as if acting out a scene.

     One of the boys stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs as he stared at the group of students. He pulled out his smartphone and sent a message out to one of his friends. He then looked up at the teacher, who hadn't noticed him yet.

"So the stories I heard about Mementos and the Phantom Thieves were true, then." The boy shook his head before murmuring, "And another Mementos is born."


	2. The Ten Year Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After clawing their way through ten years of red tape, the Phantom Thieves find themselves in Los Angeles. However, upon meeting their contact, they realize that the damage is far more severe than they could have imagined. They follow the trail back to an island one hundred miles southwest of San Diego.

The Ten Year Wait

Los Angeles, California, Monday, May 11, 2026, 9:27 AM

-

"AND HAVE A NICE DAY!" An athletic Blonde-hair man shouted as the taxi drove away.

"Ryuji! Get a hold of yourself!" A woman with brown hair exclaimed as she grabbed the man's arm.

"That pisses me off! We even gave him a tip for three hundred yen! We don't pay that much to ride the train!" Ryuji growled.

"In the US, that's less than three dollars." The woman pointed out.

"Seriously?!"

"You didn't study at all, did you?" The woman asked, rolling her eyes.

"Makoto, we're not in school anymore. It's not like we're getting ready for an exam! Besides, I speak good English." Ryuji grinned.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." A tall, purple-haired man remarked.

"Shut up, Yusuke! I doubt you even know how much five hundred yen is worth here!" Ryuji growled.

"I believe it comes to..." Yusuke paused for a moment.

"Four dollars and fifty cents." A shorter woman with peach hair answered.

"Hey, that's cheating! You can't use your wife as a calculator!" Ryuji protested.

"Haru is by no means a tool! She is both my hope and my inspiration. The fact that she is a skilled businesswoman is a coincidence." Yusuke countered.

"When did you guys get here, Ann?" Makoto asked as she glanced at an attractive, blonde-haired woman standing next to Haru.

"We got here a minute or so after you guys. Futaba insisted we could take a quicker route, but the driver wasn't listening." Ann chuckled.

"I wasn't wrong you know! We could have been here five minutes earlier if he had taken my advice!" A short, ginger-haired woman with glasses insisted.

"And that's why Futaba is the navigator." A voice sighed, coming from inside one of their travel bags.

     The bag popped open as a head came up. A black cat slowly climbed out of the bag, sweaty and panting. He looked relieved to be out of the bag as Haru bent down and picked him up.

"I don't see what your problem is, Morgana! You got to ride in luxury." Ryuji said.

"Riding in a travel bag in the trunk of a car is not luxury! I thought I was going to be cooked alive!" Morgana hissed.

"We made it though! After ten years, we're finally here!" Ann reminded everyone.

"Yes. That's what matters." Yusuke agreed.

"I bet your driver wasn't too fond of Futaba either." Ryuji smirked.

"Not at first, but then she gave him a three thousand yen tip." Haru said with a chuckle.

"Three thousand! That's...a lot!" Ryuji exclaimed after a brief silence.

"You actually married him, Makoto?" Ann asked suddenly.

"Not sure why, but I saw something." Makoto sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?! And 'saw'?" Ryuji asked irritably.

"Thanks, Ann! Now I have to make it up to him!" Makoto sighed again.

"And that's why I'm single." Ann winked.

"Moving on to more serious matters. Where's our contact? Didn't he say he was going to meet us here?" Futaba asked suddenly.

2

"Actually, that's a good question." Morgana said as he glanced around.

"I'll take payment in the form of a fancy buffet, thank you." Ryuji smirked.

"Seriously? After being married for three years, food still means more to you than Makoto?" Yusuke asked, shaking his head.

"Shut up! I love Makoto! Besides, I didn't actually say she was paying for it." Ryuji growled before smirking.

"Then how is she 'paying' you?"

"I'll figure that out later, okay?"

"Men can be so hopeless sometimes." Makoto sighed as she turned to scan the street for anyone suspicious.

"I think that's why we love them though." Haru giggled.

"You might have a point there." Ann agreed.

"I think that's silly. I want a man who can take care of himself." Futaba replied.

"How would you get close to someone like that though?" Ann asked.

"I wouldn't." Futaba replied effortlessly.

"You've completely thrown our leader's training out the window, haven't you?" Makoto sighed with a sour expression on her face.

"I'm here, aren't I!"

"Wait! She did _that_ for you!" Ryuji exclaimed suddenly.

"Of course. Haru has helped me advance my art career in many ways." Yusuke said without hesitating.

"What did you do for him, Haru?" Ann asked suspiciously.

"Yusuke! You promised to keep that a secret!" Haru snapped as her cheeks turned bright red.

"You mean _that_ painting?!" Ann exclaimed.

"Well, we are married, right? It's not like we did anything wrong!" Haru stammered shyly as she continued to blush.

"I think I've spotted him!" Morgana shouted.

"Where?" Futaba demanded as she glanced around.

"Fifty feet to our left and closing in!" Morgana said softly.

     They all turned to face an old man as he approached them. He looked like he was homeless, but something about him seemed off. When he got within a foot of them, he leaned over and whispered something in Ryuji's ear. He simply walked away afterwards.

"Ryuji, what did he say?!" Morgana asked excitedly.

"Arsene High School, five o'clock tonight." Ryuji answered slowly.

"He wasn't the contact, then?" Makoto asked.

"I guess not." Ann sighed, relieved that the the tense moment had passed.

"That was kind of scary, wasn't it?" Morgana said.

"He certainly gave me chills." Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"Do you know where that school is, Futaba?" Haru asked quietly.

3

"I am Medjed!" Futaba answered with a sly grin.

"I'd say that's a yes." Ann chuckled nervously.

"Futaba, you scare me sometimes." Ryuji said after a brief silence.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Futaba replied proudly.

"I don't think that was a compliment, Futaba." Morgana whispered.

"Hey, shut up!" Ryuji shouted before asking, "So I guess all we can do now is wait?"

"It would seem that way." Makoto replied.

"Shall we look around in the mean time, perhaps?" Yusuke suggested.

"That sounds great! I'm starving." Haru smiled.

"You don't have to ask me twice! I can't wait to try the food around here!" Ryuji grinned.

     After finding a nearby restaurant, they waited to be seated and ordered food shortly after. When their food was done, they paid their bill and left a generous tip before leaving. When they stepped outside, they were greeted by a heavy downpour.

"What the hell is this?! There wasn't a cloud in the sky when we got here. Man, this sucks." Ryuji groaned.

"Well, there's not much we can do about it. We'll just have to wait for the rain to let up." Makoto said as she watched the people walking by.

"Is it just me, or do the people around here seem less cheerful?" Ann asked suddenly.

"What do you mean? It feels like our usual rainy season, right?" Ryuji shrugged.

"You're lack of observation never fails to amaze me, Ryuji." Morgana sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryuji asked suspiciously as he glared at the cat.

"No, Ann's right. Something is definitely off. For one of the richest cities in the country, it doesn't feel as lively as I expected it to." Haru pointed out.

"I agree. My inner artist sees a lack of emotion when I look around." Yusuke added.

"Yep. I did some research during our flight here and saw that a lot of upcoming events have been cancelled. Sounds weird to me." Futaba said with a frown.

     They stood silently and waited in the rain, watching the traffic drive by. After a long wait, the rain finally became a light drizzle. They continued to explore the massive city before reaching the high school. As they approached the school, an ominous sensation grew, alerting them that something was very wrong.

"Maybe I'm not quick to catch on to stuff, but even I can see something's not right here." Ryuji said quietly.

"Any idea what we're dealing with, Morgana?" Ann asked as they neared the entrance into the school.

"Cognitive psience, Miss Takamaki." A voice stated.

     They all spun around to identify the voice. It was the old man who had approached Ryuji on the street earlier.

"What about it?" Futaba asked with a dark expression.

"Before he became Prime Minister, that Shido guy made friends in the US as well. No one believed in cognitive psience or the metaverse, but they believed in money. So, they agreed to help support his political agenda as long as he paid generously. However; one man thought differently. Once, he was a psychology teacher at this school." The man stated.

"How does that bastard Shido play into this?" Ryuji demanded.

4

"All in good time, Mister Sakamoto."

"I have a better question. How did cognitive psience reach America?" Makoto asked.

"A good question, but I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"Then why have you brought us here?" Yusuke asked with a puzzled look.

"Ah, the last pupil of Madarame, Yusuke Kitagawa. I see you're waiting to paint a masterpiece, with a brush and canvas at the ready. Well, I can lead you to the man who will allow you to paint that picture." The old man grinned.

"You  _are_ referring to the mystery that brought us here, right?" Ann asked.

"But of course." The old man nodded.

"Alright then, tell us what we need to know and we'll be on our way." Ryuji grinned.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to meet him today. The ferry won't be running in this weather."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do until then?! It's taken us ten years just to get here you know!" Ryuji growled.

"I know; I helped get you here." The old man replied casually.

"Who are you?" Futaba asked.

"I knew your mother, Futaba. Wakaba was without a doubt the most intelligent person I had ever met."

"How do you know my mother?!" Futaba asked as her heart skipped a beat.

"Please, come inside and I'll tell you what I can." The man slowly walked by them and opened the door.

     When he turned to look, he saw that they hadn't moved.

"It's a long story and we don't have much time. Please, will you follow me?" he asked as he gestured for them to join him.

"Guess we don't have a choice. Let's go, guys." Morgana sighed.

     As they walked into the large room that had once been the cafeteria, they were surprised by the sight that greeted them. The lights were dim, but the room looked cleaner than most of the school. Aside from some mattresses, pillows, blankets, and a small electric heater, the room was empty. The man sat down near the heater.

"You don't actually live here, do you?" Haru asked out of concern.

"I'm not homeless, no." The old man chuckled.

"Then why stay here?" Makoto asked.

"That's part of the story. Now let us begin." The man said before speaking with a serious expression, "Twenty-two years ago, a young scientist suggested that our subconscious was how logic and emotion became intertwined, and ultimately governed our choices and actions. He further stated that because each person reacted differently no matter how similar they may be to each other, everyone's subconscious was driven by a different source. When asked what that source would look like, his answer was the person, but in a subconscious world.

"We all laughed at him and shortly after, he quit his job. Exactly one month later, he jumped in front of a train. For two years, I spent my time trying to discover the cause of his suicide. A scientist rarely gives up so easily. History has proven that no matter how doubtful something may seem, it's not impossible to prove as long as you don't give up. That's when an article caught my attention.

"It was a Japanese college student's essay on psychological behavior governed by the subconscious. She called it...cognitive psience. Very few of her teachers or peers took it seriously, but I knew she was onto something. So we started emailing each other after a shared what that young scientist suggested. Before I knew it, I was working side by side with her in Shibuya."

5

     The man continued to speak as they listened closely to what he said. At the end of his story, they were all surprised and shocked at what they had just heard. Makoto was the first to speak up.

"They deported you and took your research to make sure you wouldn't discover the truth of what happened?"

"That is correct."

"That doesn't explain why you're living here though." Futaba pointed out.

"Ah, yes. The truth is, this isn't an ordinary school; not anymore, at least. I spent six months reading over all of our research when Wakaba suspected she was in danger. Sojiro shrugged it off, but after that scientist's suicide, I knew better. I wanted to be sure if anything went wrong, I'd be able to retain this knowledge to protect their legacy." The old man answered with a fierce look.

"How does the school connect to all of this shit?" Ryuji asked.

"Quite the mouth on you, even in English. Back on topic, though," The old man paused as Ryuji glared at him, "Ten years ago, a bus crashed through the very doors you walked through. My grandson witnessed the whole event, but everyone told him he was crazy when he explained what he saw. He is the one who contacted the Phan-site, I might add. Wakaba hypothesized how one might enter the Metaverse, but could never prove it because someone had already done it.

"That being said, I had difficulty accepting what he saw. After a week of begging me to come back to the school though, I went with him to see if I could validate his claim. I can't tell you why, but by then, the school was shut down. Nonetheless, we managed to sneak in. We stayed for a couple of hours before I was ready to give up. That's when our cognition altered suddenly and I knew we were in the Metaverse.

"We barely made it out alive, but both your mother and my grandson were proven right in those few minutes that we experienced. From that day forward, I've stayed here, hoping that I might again reenter the Metaverse. I have so many questions about what happens in the Metaverse and how it affects the subconscious, but more importantly how a person's cognition is shaped by the Metaverse."

"Wait, are we in the Metaverse now?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Don't be foolish! We would have sensed shadows if that were the case." Futaba snapped.

"It's true, then. You _are_ the Phantom Thieves." The old man said with a hint of surprise.

"After everything you've learned so far, you still doubt us?" Makoto asked.

"I'm sure you were reluctant to accept the Metaverse at first, Mrs. Niijima."

"Perhaps, but once you've eliminated all logical possibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Something I learned from my sister." Makoto replied thoughtfully.

"You look so hot when you talk smart." Ryuji grinned.

"Not now!" Makoto blushed.

"Why haven't you said anything yet, our little friend?" The old man asked as he began to gently pet Morgana.

"What?! He knows I can talk?!" Morgana exclaimed.

"I'm guessing your feline companion was surprised to hear me say that." The old man chuckled.

"Is there anything this guy doesn't know?" Morgana asked as he laid back down.

"I wish I could hear what you were saying, Morgana." He smiled as he continued to pet the cat.

6

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starving! I need food!" Ryuji exclaimed with a grin.

"For once, I must agree. A meal would be welcoming in such a...lifeless environment." Yusuke admitted as he looked around.

"Thankfully, the kitchen still works and there's plenty of food in here. I'll see what I can whip up." The scientist smiled.

"Edible food, I hope." Futaba said with a frown.

"I can't make your mother's curry, but it'll be edible."

     A half hour had passed when the man came back with a pot and some bowls. Ryuji was the first to look into the pot, ready to dig in. Upon seeing what was inside, however, he looked up at the old man with a sour expression on his face.

"What is this stuff?"

"Supper." The man answered simply.

"That's not what I mean!"

"It's macaroni and cheese, Ryuji. I told you we were going to have to start eating american food when we got here." Ann explained, rolling her eyes now.

"Then I, Yusuke Kitagawa, embrace this artistic meal with my deepest appreciation." Yusuke said grandly as he filled a bowl with the pasta.

"I don't know that I would call this  _artistic_." The old man chuckled.

"Nonsense; cooking is as much an art as painting is." Yusuke argued.

"perhaps, but cooking this meal would be like working with the three primary colors, but only having crayons." The old man countered with a frown.

"Oh, I see. Still, one should never judge a book by it's cover."

"Fair enough." The old man nodded, scratching his head.

"I'm sure this is delight-" Yusuke paused as he took a bite, "The meal is quite...cheesy."

"You'll get used to it. Dig in; it's no good cold." Ann said as she grabbed a bowl.

     After everyone was done eating, Makoto and Haru convinced the old man to let them do the dishes. In the meantime, Ryuji and Yusuke continued to debate the finer points of culinary arts. At points, the argument became heated. Ann finally interrupted, tired of the pointless arguing. Makoto and Haru came back at that moment.

"Okay, that does it! Living in Japan has clearly spoiled your taste buds, Ryuji. From now on, I'm going to start teaching Makoto how to cook american meals, and you're going to eat them!"

"No way! I love a good cheeseburger as much as the next guy, but if you feed me anymore of that cheese stuff, I'm going to die!"

"Ryuji Sakamoto, you'll eat what I cook or you'll find yourself sleeping on the floor from now on." Makoto threatened.

"But...we are sleeping on the floor!" Ryuji pointed out.

"That doesn't mean you'll be sleeping next to me though!"

"Seriously?! You'd kick me out of bed over your cooking?!" Ryuji groaned.

"Speaking of beds, I believe it's time to get some sleep. You'll need your energy tomorrow; my soon will be meeting you in the Metaverse." The old man suggested.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Ryuji grinned excitedly.

"I wouldn't be so quick to go storming in, Mister Sakamoto; my son tells me these shadows are unusually powerful. He seems to believe they're driven by...lustful greed."

"Like Kamoshida?" Ann asked with a disgusted look on her face now.

7

"Possibly worse."


End file.
